site.bta20th Festivals in the Valley of the Thracian Kings Open in Kazanlak

 The 20th Festivals in the Valley of the Thracian Kings will open on Thursday near the Kazanlak Tomb in Tyulbe Park and take place until September 7.

The programme of this year's festival has several highlights, and the diverse cultural events will present the exceptional heritage that the ancient Thracians left in the area of Kazanlak, said the town's Deputy Mayor Srebra Kaseva. "The festivals are an integral part of the rich cultural calendar of Kazanlak Municipality, and this edition includes both annual and new initiatives to honor the ancient Thracian heritage", she pointed out.

On the first day of the festival the traditional award for contribution to the study of Thracian culture and its popularization will be presented. The evening will feature performances from the Lyubomir Kabakchiev Municipal Theatre and the group Etnotix. Before the official opening of the festival, an exhibition entitled The Misty Tomb will be opened, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of one of its researchers, Prof. Lyudmil Getov. The exhibition is organized by the Iskra Historical Museum.

Among the highlights of the festival programme are the performances of the Stara Zagora State Opera on Friday on the picturesque stage on the shore of the Koprinka Reservoir, with the Kazanlak Municipality providing transportation for all those wishing to visit the performances, Kaseva said. She also pointed to the the jazz festival, which will be held in the Valley of the Thracian Kings complex in Shipka from September 4 and during which popular Bulgarian and world jazz performers will perform.

Kaseva emphasized that the main goal of the Festivals in the Valley of the Thracian Kings is to preserve and enrich knowledge about the ancient way of life and culture of Bulgaria's predecessors.